Sitting in the air-conditioned comfort of The Guild theatre on Tuesday night and listening to background music is a relaxing way to collect my thoughts after a hectic day.
But I don’t stay introspective for long.
As soon as a voice comes over the PA system announcing The Ross Family – and siblings Johnny, Stephanie and Danielle Ross leap onto the stage – I tap into their energy and am wide awake.
Taking their places, Danielle with her fiery fiddle, Stephanie with her guitar and Johnny, seated at the piano, their lively show begins.
With her siblings accompanying her, Danielle plays a set of jigs and reels. When Stephanie jumps on a wooden box and starts to step dance, audience members started clapping. That's all it takes for Danielle to jump onto the other box and dance as she plays the fiddle. The audience clearly appreciates this musical feat and claps even more.
It's the opening set of the Ross Family Ceilidh. The high-energy family show runs every Tuesday at The Guild and every Monday and Wednesday at Clinton Hills until Oct. 2. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
If you are going
What: The Ross Family Ceilidh
When and where: Monday and Wednesday at Clinton Hills and Tuesday at The Guild until Oct. 2. Showtime is 7:30 p.m.
Ticket information: Go to http://www.rossfamily.ca/ceilidh.html
At the Charlottetown venue audience members are encouraged to leave all their cares at the door.
“We’re going to have a lot of fun, so feel free to clap and stomp your feet,” says Johnny, grinning at the audience.
Known as the “master of the sit and be fit” his red socks and black shoes could be seen step-dancing under the keyboard as his fingers dance on top.
“Performing with my family is a tradition. We’ve been doing this since childhood and it brings me great joy. Nothing beats playing with blood on blood,” says Johnny during an interview.
The aim of the show is to present the best of roots music to their audience. So, in the course of two hours they perform Scottish, Irish and Acadian songs.
There is “Quelque chose a dire”, a song made famous by Barachois, “Fiddle and Bow” by Bruce Guthro and traditional fiddle tunes by Eddy Arsenault and Edward Arsenault.
There are singalong songs, too, including “P.E.I. Shanty” by Steve Sharratt.
Then, it’s time for more dancing. The trio's mother, Dorothy Ross, performs a strathspey and a reel, joining her daughters step-dancing on stage.
In the second act, there are lots of surprises, including “Whole lot of Shaking Going On” by Jerry Lee Lewis, “Sleepy Mary” by Ashley MacIsaac, “Orange Blossom Special” and a wonderful finale.
Call in and win
The question: Who plays the fiddle at the Ross Family Ceilidh?
The prize: A pair of tickets to the Ross Family Ceilidh.
Last week’s winner: No winner.
To enter: Call The Guardian’s Phone and Win contest line at 902-629-1707.
There is comedy, too, via Stephanie. Wearing a Greek fisherman’s hat and braids, the guitarist plays a “goofy, smiley, rock ’n’ roller” in the show. Her facial expressions inspire even more laughter.
At one point she couldn’t stop laughing so Johnny reined her in by playing a few notes of the next song she was about sing. “He knows how to push my buttons,” jokes Stephanie, as she regains her composure.
That’s one of the reason she enjoys playing with her family.
“We know each other inside and out. We know exactly how to play to our strength."
Sally Cole is an entertainment writer with The Guardian. She welcomes comments about her column as well as suggestions for future columns from readers. She may be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 902-629-6000, ext. 6054.
